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Injured - Suggestions for 4th Class Climbing Near Boulder

Original Post
Erika Bannon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 30

Due to rather bad finger injury :-( I want to try and pursue some more mountaineering or 4th/3rd class type stuff. I was wondering if people have suggestions for stuff that would be good this time of year near Boulder? The only snow climbing I have done was Navajo peak then down the air plane gully, I found the snow/climbing pretty mellow, though took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I wouldn’t want to do anything much harder than that. I am open to other suggestions for what people did when they injured themselves.

James Kersey · · Livermore, CO · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 81

I don't have any grand list to add, but I will be doing the Spearhead NE ramps tomorrow. Haven't done them before, but they seem to offer some class 4.

summitpost.org/spearhead-ne…

Jeff Welch · · Dolores, CO · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 282

I blew a finger pulley several years ago. Spent the rest of the summer doing 5.4 and below on the Flatirons, and ridge scrambles in the Indian Peaks. Some good ones I've done:
-Mt. Bancroft East Ridge (5.2 with a rappel, but still fine with a finger injury)
-Mt. Neva North Ridge
-Arapahoe Peaks Traverse
-Little Pawnee to Pawnee

You can do all of these with no snow climbing.

Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60

I would like to second the Arapahoe Peaks traverse. Its pretty awesome. If you get there early you can make south arapahoe peak by sunrise. Spoiler: Its majestic. You can have enough light to climb the south peak and the winter park valley will still be dark.

Second to that in the nearby area is the Mt. Neva North Ridge.

brenta · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 75

A few more suggestions:

- My favorite scramble in the Indian Peaks is Niwot Ridge.

- In the Park, the East Ridge of Powell and the NE Ridge of McHenrys.

Erika Bannon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 30

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll have to check these out!

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974

Are you interested in Flatirons scrambles? If so, the Regency, Royal Arch, Anomaly, Amoeboid combination is really nice and only 4th class.

If you haven't done the Kelso Ridge on Torreys it's not bad.

Father Dyer Peak and the traverse to Mt Helen is a nice airy day.

Josiah Cooper · · El Paso, TX · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 30
Eliot Augusto wrote:I would like to second the Arapahoe Peaks traverse. Its pretty awesome. If you get there early you can make south arapahoe peak by sunrise. Spoiler: Its majestic. You can have enough light to climb the south peak and the winter park valley will still be dark. Second to that in the nearby area is the Mt. Neva North Ridge.
Eliot, this sounds like my kind of adventure! Where can I find good trail beta/directions. Found some info on summitpost.org. How early is "early" enough to catch the sunrise?

Thanks!
Jeff Welch · · Dolores, CO · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 282
Josiah Cooper wrote: Eliot, this sounds like my kind of adventure! Where can I find good trail beta/directions. Found some info on summitpost.org. How early is "early" enough to catch the sunrise? Thanks!
The route is well described in Dave Cooper's "Colorado Scrambles" guidebook. Routefinding is not complicated, especially the trail hike to get up South Arapahoe to the start of the traverse.

As for what time - you've got about 3.5-4mi and 3200' of climbing to get up to South Arapahoe's summit, so however long it takes you to hike that far before sunrise.
Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974

How about Clark's arrow in Longs?

Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

Currently recovering too, so I'm mainly posting to keep up with the thread.

It's not exactly 4th class, but I did Seal Rock (5.4) a while back whilst my partner was recovering from a back injury. It was super mellow, so might be something to consider if you haven't done it yet.

Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60
Josiah Cooper wrote: Eliot, this sounds like my kind of adventure! Where can I find good trail beta/directions. Found some info on summitpost.org. How early is "early" enough to catch the sunrise? Thanks!
I leave my house in Boulder at roughly 2:30, and start hiking from the trailhead at roughly 3:30. Plenty of time to get there, make some tea, and definitely not load a bowl in a public place just in time for the sun to rise. That is illegal...

I like to watch it turn from darkish to full on sunrise. If you just want to watch the sun crawl over the horizon, you could probably leave later.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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